Prime Minister's address to the nation as Third Lockdown for England is announced
The Transcript of the Prime Minister’s Speech made this evening at 8pm is as follows:-
Since the pandemic began last year, the whole United Kingdom has been engaged in a great national effort to fight Covid.
And there is no doubt that in fighting the old variant of the virus, our collective efforts were working and would have continued to work.
But we now have a new variant of the virus. It has been both frustrating and alarming to see the speed with which the new variant is spreading.
Our scientists have confirmed this new variant is between 50 and 70 per cent more transmissible – that means you are much, much more likely to catch the virus and to pass it on.
As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic.
In England alone, the number of Covid patients in hospitals has increased by nearly a third in the last week, to almost 27,000.
That number is 40 per cent higher than the first peak in April.
Our Advice Line - a Source of Comfort during the Pandemic
The last seven months have been pivotal on so many levels, it really is difficult to know where to begin. We witnessed the country stop in its tracks in late March, as businesses, our clients transitioned from the office environment to WFH. A task which seems straightforward but not so; where do directors, MDs, office managers, negs, property managers and administrators begin with such a gargantuan undertaking? And yet, they did up until the 12th May when the housing market re-opened to the surprise of everyone working within the sector. What followed was a flurry of activity to get Covid-19 protocols in place for the safe re-opening of the sector, a soft-opening if you will do so many letting agents, estate agents, conveyancers, surveyors - tentatively venturing into unknown territory to be certain that health and safety came first.
Our Role
We, like everyone in business, have been affected by the virus. Our CEO, Susie became ill with virus on the day of the first Lockdown, a worrying time for us all, hoping she would make a swift recovery. Our face to face training was put on hold and with the support of Tony at Pixels and Puzzles, we moved seemlessly online, not just to train but provide clients with extremely important webinars, put together to guide letting agents through what must have felt like relentless changes to existing legislation. Susie came to the webinar party in mid-April when she was certain she could cope with the level of questions being asked; we remember after every webinar or training session, she needed a nap - post-Covid fatigue was a real thing.
A Reminder - Changes to the Right to Rent Process
Changes have been made to the Right to Rent Scheme, to make it easier for landlords and letting agents to carry out checks and simpler for individuals to prove their right to rent. These changes will come into force on 2 November. The Right to Rent Scheme is currently in force in England only.
The changes enable landlords and letting agents to use a new Home Office online checking service, available from 25 November, on GOV.UK, to undertake right to rent checks. Furthermore, the list of documents a landlord or letting agent can accept as proof of right to rent has been updated to include a short UK birth and adoption certificate and documents issued to non-EEA family members under the EU Settlement Scheme.
The legislation and Code of Practice have been updated in line with guidance published in July 2019 for visitor nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA (known as B5JSSK nationals). Since May 2019, B5JSSK nationals have been able to use their passport and evidence of arrival in the UK within the preceding six months (physical or electronic copy of ticket or boarding pass) to evidence their right to rent.
Further information can be found on Landlords: immigration right to rent checks on GOV.UK.
A factsheet detailing the legislative changes can be found here
A Q&A document can be found here
Finally, queries about the Right to Rent Scheme can be sent to: RighttoRentandRighttoWork@homeoffice.gov.uk
How will the Four-Week Lockdown affect the Housing Market in England?
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a second national lockdown for England, through a Q & A on Twitter, Robert Jenrick clarified how this second Lockdown will impact the Housing Market.
Q: Can I still move house?
A: Yes – the housing market will remain open throughout this period. Everyone should continue to play their part in reducing the spread of the virus by following the current guidance.
Q: Are mortgage holidays ending?
A: No – the mortgage payment holidays will no longer end today and there will be further information published by the FCA on Monday.
Q: Should I still go to work on a construction site next week?
A: Yes – anyone who cannot work effectively from home should travel to work and follow the relevant guidance for their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting vital sectors.
Q: I previously shielded – will I need to do so again?
A: We will not ask people to shield in the same way again but if you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should minimise contact with others. We will publish full guidance the next few days.